Vending machines are evil
by Daydur
Summary: Swan Queen college AU. Regina gets her hand stuck in a vending machine and Emma is her personal saviour - as soon as she's done with laughing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** unfortunately, none of the characters etc belong to me...

* * *

 **Emma's POV**

I probably shouldn't have enjoyed the situation as much as I did. It was keeping me from my much needed chocolate bars after all. On the other hand, it was a very interesting sight. A woman was on her knees in front of the cheap vending machine, her arm inside it and obviously stuck. Which was funny enough on it's own, but with her elegant clothes and overall flawless appearance she looked more than out of place in the art building full of students who wouldn't wear such a sensible pantsuit even if they could afford it - it would be full of paint and other curious stains after mere minutes anyways.

"Could you stop laughing for a second and help me?" a furious voice interrupted my musings. I hadn't even noticed that I'd been laughing my ass off for minutes until that moment, but I honestly tried to stop. Which kinda worked. Until I looked down and saw the almost comically furious look on her face in combination with the position she currently was in. I couldn't help the giggle escaping my lips.

She scoffed and turned away, focusing on getting her hand out again, rather desperately it seemed. After a particularly hard yank of her arm that didn't bring any results, she sighed loudly and sat back on her heels, head hung low.

It was only then that I noticed the tears she barely managed to keep in her eyes.

"Hey" I said softly.

She didn't look at me.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you, it's just-" I managed to stop myself before I said anything more. Telling her how ridiculous she had looked would just make her more upset. "I'm sorry" I started again, and after a moment of hesitation I put my hand on her shoulder. I felt her tense up, but she still didn't turn her head. "I'm going to help you, ok?"

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" I flinched at the venom in her voice. "You can't pull my hand out of that thing anymore than I can myself. You standing here is not very helpful!"

"Whoa, no need to yell at me like that. W- I'll figure something out. Or I, uh, could get someone who can open the vending machine?" it wasn't supposed to sound that much like a question.

"Then make yourself useful and go get someone already! Why the hell are you still standing here?!" her icy glare took me by surprise.

For a few seconds I could do nothing but stare at her. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I offered my help and all you do is yell at me! It's your own damn fault that you're stuck, and it's also your fault that I can't get my snack before my next class, which I'm already late for, by the way! So if you want to stay here and wait for a miracle, be my guest, I won't bother you anymore! Have fun with your chips!"

Without another glance I turned around and walked towards my lecture hall. Unbelievable! This woman was the most infuriating person I had ever met. Who does she think she is? To yell at me like that like it was my fault that she was stuck, even though I had just offered my help… With a furious shake of my head I stomped off, loud enough that I almost didn't hear the soft voice calling after me. Almost.

"Wait!"

I don't know why I even turned around. I could have just left her there, would've served her right.

But I did. I wasn't prepared for the look on her face. She had let her angry mask fall, leaving behind a tear stained face with such a vulnerable expression in her big puppy eyes that I almost wanted to cry myself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said" her voice was barely above a whisper. "Can you please help me? Please get someone who can get me out of here."

I looked at her for a second before deflating. "Ok. I'll go get someone. Will you be ok here until I come back?"

She laughed at that, a combination of bitter sarcasm and shaky tears. "It's not like I have a choice, is it?"

"I guess not"

I almost let a smile tug at the corners of my lips as I suppressed the urge to wipe her tears away (seriously, where had that come from?) and hurried in the other direction, without any stomping this time - that might have been kind of a childish move earlier, not that I'd ever admit that out loud. It took only a minute to get to the janitor's office. I walked in without knocking.

"Hey, David!" he turned around and smiled at me.

"Emma! What can I do for you!"

David was not your typical old, creepy cliché of a janitor, he was young, handsome and very friendly. He had let me into the art studios to paint at the oddest hours more than a few times - which was the reason why he knew my name - and was always there to help when anybody needed him.

"Somebody got their hand stuck in the vending machine while trying to get their snack out." I didn't hide my amusement as I thought about it again. Really, the fact that the woman had looked far too classy for vending machines in general made it even more amusing.

David just sighed. "Seriously, with the amount of money all you guys pay to study here, it should be possible to buy a vending machine that, you know, actually works properly and doesn't force people to stick their arms all the way in to get their snacks out."

I raised an eyebrow in question when I saw the defeated look on his face.

"That's the third this week."

"Oh", was all I could say. It was Tuesday morning. Not a good sign.

He sighed again. "Go ahead and keep Cruella's victim company. I gotta get some tools."

"Cruella?" I asked.

"That's what I call that damn machine in my head. It's a cruel device, you have to admit the name is fitting.

"Fair enough" I shrugged and turned around. "See you in a sec!"

* * *

 **Notes:**

Let me know if you like it so far! I know there's not much Swan Queen going on, but further chapters are already in work!

I'm not quite sure yet where the story is headed, so the rating might change later on..

Also, I'm not quite sure about the title.. If you have any ideas (for the title or the plot), please tell me!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the follows, reviews and favourites! I didn't expect so many people to like my story already after the first chapter! So, here's the next one (a bit longer this time):

* * *

 **Regina's POV**

 _I can't wait for the weekend._ The fact that this was my first thought after waking up on a Tuesday morning could only be a bad sign. So, in hindsight it wasn't particularly surprising that I ended up with my hand stuck inside a vending machine.

And because that's just my luck, all the lectures in this building seemed to start right now and everybody who could potentially help me ran off without noticing my misery. Until someone stopped behind me and apparently deemed it appropriate to stand there and laugh at me. For five full minutes. Unfortunately, that's not even an exaggeration, as my wristwatch told me from inside the vending machine.

When it became apparent that the student wouldn't try to help me anytime soon, I decided to interrupt her. "Could you stop laughing for a second and help me?!"

To my surprise, she actually stopped for a moment, looked down at me and started to giggle again.

Great. Of all the supposedly intelligent students of Storybrooke University, my potential saviour had to be the greatest idiot alive. I scoffed and focused on my trapped arm instead, trying to pull it out again. And again. And again. With a frustrated growl, I yanked as hard as I could.

Bad idea. A sharp bolt of pain shot up my arm and there was only so much I could do to stop the tears from escaping my eyes.

I was embarrassed and glad at the same time that the laughing idiot noticed and decided to take the situation a little bit more serious.

"Hey" her voice was surprisingly soft and pleasant.

I know ignoring her wasn't the politest thing to do, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her, still fighting the tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you, it's just-" she paused. Whatever she just stopped herself from saying, I had a feeling it wasn't anything nice. I heard her take a deep breath before she started over: "I'm sorry."

I tensed up at the feeling of a warm hand on my shoulder. This was a bit too much physical contact for a stranger who had just laughed at my expense for several minutes, in my opinion.

"I'm going to help you, okay?"

If I hadn't felt so much like crying, I'd have

probably laughed at that. Helping didn't seem like something she was particularly good at. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?" My words came out harsher than intended, but she deserved it. "You can't pull my hand out of that thing anymore than I can myself. You standing here is not very helpful!"

She looked taken aback at my harsh reply, but frankly, I was too desperate at that moment to care.

"Whoa, no need to yell at me like that. W- I'll figure something out. Or I, uh, could get someone who can open the vending machine?"

That didn't sound like she had a solid plan. But I had to admit that it wasn't the worst idea. If she intended to ever make good on her plan instead of just standing there, her hand still on my shoulder.

"Then make yourself useful and go get someone already! Why the hell are you still standing here?!" I sent her my best evil glare, hoping it would make her move faster.

For a few seconds, she just stared at me, her hand slowly slipping from my shoulder.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Her expression changed completely, from a dumbfounded look to one of complete and utter fury. "I offered my help and all you do is yell at me! It's your own damn fault that you're stuck, and it's also your fault that I can't get my snacks before my next class, which I'm already late for, by the way! So if you want to stay here and wait for a miracle, be my guest, I won't bother you anymore! Have fun with your chips!"

With those words she turned around and stomped off - literally stomped. In any other situation I'd scoff at the childish action, but she was the only person around, and frankly my only hope to get out of here. Well, damn. I messed up big time.

Swallowing my pride, I called out. "Wait!" I was shocked at how small my voice sounded, half expecting her to ignore me.

But she turned around. I saw her expression soften as she looked at me. Only then did I notice the tears rolling down my cheeks, but there was no use in hiding them now. I just hoped she didn't decide to leave me there after all.

"I'm sorry" I tried to say, but it sounded more like a hoarse whisper. "I didn't mean what I said. Can you please help me? Please get someone who can get me out of here."

She looked at me for what felt like hours. "Okay." she released her breath. "I'll go get someone. Will you be okay here until I come back?"

A shaky laugh stole its way from my lips. "It's not like I have much of a choice, is it?"

"I guess not." Maybe the hint of a smile I detected on her lips before she hurried off was just imagination.

And then I was alone again, sitting on the floor with my arm stuck in the vending machine and tears on my face. How pathetic! I was glad nobody could see me in this moment. Well, except for my "saviour", but I had decided that she was an idiot anyway, so that didn't really matter.

There were still no other students around and it was awfully quiet. So quiet that I could hear the ticking of my wristwatch - still inside that damn vending machine. I sighed and turned around, looking for something to occupy my mind until my saviour returned, when I heard footsteps behind me. Speaking of the devil…

She sat down a few feet to my left. When she didn't say anything after a few moments, I raised my eyebrow questioningly.

"David's on his way."

I nodded. Apparently, neither of us had anything else to say, so I settled for just looking at her. After all, I hadn't really been able to see her when she had been standing behind me. The paint-splattered tank top, ripped jeans and red leather jacket were fitting for an art student who spent her free time laughing at people stuck in vending machines. What surprised me, though, was the open and friendly look on her face, the golden locks that lay in a messy braid around her head, and most importantly, those soft green eyes that were looking right back at me, glinting with an unreadable expression.

Her face was a lot prettier than her personality. Or what I had seen of it so far. To be fair, I didn't know her, and she did find someone to help me, after all. Maybe she wasn't as bad as I had originally thought, childish amusement at other people's expense aside.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't hear another person approach. When I saw Emma look away from me (had we really been staring at one another all this time?) I turned around as far as possible.

A young man with dark blond hair and a soft smile was walking towards us, several tools I didn't know the use of in his hands and a few keys attached to his belt.

"Hi, I'm David, I'm the janitor here" he introduced himself, kneeling down beside me to examine the situation. "Unfortunately, this happens quite a lot with dear old Cruella here." He patted the machine.

I lifted an eyebrow at the name. "Well, I suppose this means you know how to rescue me, considering none of the other victims are still stuck here."

He smiled at me again, sorting threw his tools until he found the one he was looking for. "Yes. I have to open the whole front before I can take out the part where your arm is stuck from inside. I hope you don't mind scooting around on your knees a little bit, so I can move that whole thing."

A fit of giggles off to my left reminded me that Emma was still here. "Oh, but that would ruin all her clothes, you can't ask that of her, David!" she protested mockingly, interrupted by even more giggles.

I really tried not to roll my eyes at her, but she wasn't making it easy. "Just get me out of here", I growled at David, although he didn't deserve the rude command. But he was unfazed. He seemed to know Emma pretty well, so he probably knew what it was like to be the object of her amusement.

With a loud screeching noise David managed to pull the front side of the machine from its hinges and I scooted back until he could get to the other side of it. It hadn't been very comfortable to have my hand stuck inside there to begin with, but feeling the huge thing move without being able to get away was a whole different experience - one that I never wanted to repeat.

After a lot of un-screwing, pushing and pulling in different directions, the part where I was stuck finally, _finally_ opened. I wouldn't be surprised if my relieved sigh could have been heard all throughout the building. When I was done with admiring my hand that was once again all mine and rubbing at the bruises that were forming from when I had tried to yank my hand out, David had already put the vending machine back together.

Slowly, I got up - standing upright had never felt so wonderful before! "Thank you, David." The smile I sent his way was probably ridiculously bright, but I was too relieved to finally be free to try and make it look more refined.

He smiled back brilliantly and shook my hand - oh my god, I could shake people's hands again! "It was a pleasure to be able to help you. I'll be on my way then. See you around - hopefully not back here, though." He grinned at his own joke before turning around and going back in the direction he had come from.

With a look at my two free hands I released another happy sigh. Just as I was about to walk off as well, a voice stopped me. "Wait!" Emma was standing now too, a small packet of chips in her half outstretched hand. When I turned to meet her eyes, one side of her mouth quirked up into a smile. "You didn't go through all this trouble to leave your chips behind, did you?" she pushed her hand forward, practically shoving the chips in my face - though that seemed to be more out of clumsiness than anything else.

She was right, those chips were the reason I had been stuck in the vending machine for almost half an hour, I could at least eat them now. "Yes. I should at least murder them for the trouble they put me through." I took the packet from her, when an idea hit me. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it again.

But Emma had apparently seen the movement and tilted her head in question. Well, there was hardly a way around it now.

"Well… You saved me from Cruella, so I wanted to ask you if you'd like to help me kill the chips she tried to hold captive." I couldn't help the slight fidgeting of my hands as I watched her half-smile spread into a grin that seemed to light up her whole face.

"Never gonna say no to free food!" She stepped closer and lifted her hand. For a moment I thought she was going to snatch the chips, but then I realised that she was offering it to shake. With only a moment of hesitation I took it, hoping my smile didn't look as shy as I suddenly felt. Her handshake was firm, but soft and warm and she didn't let go for several seconds.

"I'm Emma, by the way." Her eyes seemed to look right through me and straight into my soul, but I found that I didn't mind.

"Regina." I answered, unable to look away.

* * *

 **AN:**

\- I hope you all liked this chapter, please let me know what you thought!

\- I don't have a beta-reader yet, so if anybody is interested, just say the word

\- I'll try to update regularly twice a week (probably on Saturday and Wednesday), but please forgive me if I don't always find the time or inspiration to finish the next chapter in time.

Sooo, see you soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** unfortunately, none of the characters etc belong to me...

* * *

 **Emma's POV**

I probably shouldn't have enjoyed the situation as much as I did. It was keeping me from my much needed chocolate bars after all. On the other hand, it was a very interesting sight. A woman was on her knees in front of the cheap vending machine, her arm inside it and obviously stuck. Which was funny enough on it's own, but with her elegant clothes and overall flawless appearance she looked more than out of place in the art building full of students who wouldn't wear such a sensible pantsuit even if they could afford it - it would be full of paint and other curious stains after mere minutes anyways.

"Could you stop laughing for a second and help me?" a furious voice interrupted my musings. I hadn't even noticed that I'd been laughing my ass off for minutes until that moment, but I honestly tried to stop. Which kinda worked. Until I looked down and saw the almost comically furious look on her face in combination with the position she currently was in. I couldn't help the giggle escaping my lips.

She scoffed and turned away, focusing on getting her hand out again, rather desperately it seemed. After a particularly hard yank of her arm that didn't bring any results, she sighed loudly and sat back on her heels, head hung low.

It was only then that I noticed the tears she barely managed to keep in her eyes.

"Hey" I said softly.

She didn't look at me.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you, it's just-" I managed to stop myself before I said anything more. Telling her how ridiculous she had looked would just make her more upset. "I'm sorry" I started again, and after a moment of hesitation I put my hand on her shoulder. I felt her tense up, but she still didn't turn her head. "I'm going to help you, ok?"

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" I flinched at the venom in her voice. "You can't pull my hand out of that thing anymore than I can myself. You standing here is not very helpful!"

"Whoa, no need to yell at me like that. W- I'll figure something out. Or I, uh, could get someone who can open the vending machine?" it wasn't supposed to sound that much like a question.

"Then make yourself useful and go get someone already! Why the hell are you still standing here?!" her icy glare took me by surprise.

For a few seconds I could do nothing but stare at her. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I offered my help and all you do is yell at me! It's your own damn fault that you're stuck, and it's also your fault that I can't get my snack before my next class, which I'm already late for, by the way! So if you want to stay here and wait for a miracle, be my guest, I won't bother you anymore! Have fun with your chips!"

Without another glance I turned around and walked towards my lecture hall. Unbelievable! This woman was the most infuriating person I had ever met. Who does she think she is? To yell at me like that like it was my fault that she was stuck, even though I had just offered my help… With a furious shake of my head I stomped off, loud enough that I almost didn't hear the soft voice calling after me. Almost.

"Wait!"

I don't know why I even turned around. I could have just left her there, would've served her right.

But I did. I wasn't prepared for the look on her face. She had let her angry mask fall, leaving behind a tear stained face with such a vulnerable expression in her big puppy eyes that I almost wanted to cry myself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said" her voice was barely above a whisper. "Can you please help me? Please get someone who can get me out of here."

I looked at her for a second before deflating. "Ok. I'll go get someone. Will you be ok here until I come back?"

She laughed at that, a combination of bitter sarcasm and shaky tears. "It's not like I have a choice, is it?"

"I guess not"

I almost let a smile tug at the corners of my lips as I suppressed the urge to wipe her tears away (seriously, where had that come from?) and hurried in the other direction, without any stomping this time - that might have been kind of a childish move earlier, not that I'd ever admit that out loud. It took only a minute to get to the janitor's office. I walked in without knocking.

"Hey, David!" he turned around and smiled at me.

"Emma! What can I do for you!"

David was not your typical old, creepy cliché of a janitor, he was young, handsome and very friendly. He had let me into the art studios to paint at the oddest hours more than a few times - which was the reason why he knew my name - and was always there to help when anybody needed him.

"Somebody got their hand stuck in the vending machine while trying to get their snack out." I didn't hide my amusement as I thought about it again. Really, the fact that the woman had looked far too classy for vending machines in general made it even more amusing.

David just sighed. "Seriously, with the amount of money all you guys pay to study here, it should be possible to buy a vending machine that, you know, actually works properly and doesn't force people to stick their arms all the way in to get their snacks out."

I raised an eyebrow in question when I saw the defeated look on his face.

"That's the third this week."

"Oh", was all I could say. It was Tuesday morning. Not a good sign.

He sighed again. "Go ahead and keep Cruella's victim company. I gotta get some tools."

"Cruella?" I asked.

"That's what I call that damn machine in my head. It's a cruel device, you have to admit the name is fitting.

"Fair enough" I shrugged and turned around. "See you in a sec!"

* * *

 **Notes:**

Let me know if you like it so far! I know there's not much Swan Queen going on, but further chapters are already in work!

I'm not quite sure yet where the story is headed, so the rating might change later on..

Also, I'm not quite sure about the title.. If you have any ideas (for the title or the plot), please tell me!


	4. Chapter 4

I'm so so so so so sorry I forgot to inform you of my two-week-writing-hiatus beforehand! I was on vacation in the mountains and didn't have any internet access, so I couldn't update!

Thank you for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing anyway! I'm glad so many people like my story and of course I'm especially happy about the feedback :)

hotkillerz: I tried the mistaken-for-a-couple-trope, but it didn't quite turn out the way I planned.. I hope you like it anyway :)

* * *

 **Regina's POV**

I still had no idea why I had agreed to this. I didn't even go to get coffee with my friends - few as they were - and Emma was basically a stranger. We had only exchanged a few meaningless words after I had been freed from the vending machine three days ago. What was I even doing here? I could be at home studying right now instead of drinking coffee with someone I barely knew!

I considered excusing myself and just leaving, when it hit me. I actually _wanted_ to spend time with Emma, obnoxious as she was.

This realisation would have made me leave immediately hadn't the waitress arrived exactly at that moment.

"Hi, Ruby!" Emma's chipper voice sounded across the table. Only then did I realise that we hadn't talked at all since we had left the library. I shifted my gaze from Emma to the waitress, all long legs and inquisitive eyes.

"Hey, Emma!" She had a big grin on her face and a curious glint in her eyes. "And who is your… friend here?" The deliberate pause and raised eyebrow were a bit too suggestive in my opinion, but Emma merely rolled her eyes good-naturedly, apparently used to the other woman's antics.

"This is Regina. I saved her from an evil vending machine a few days back. Don't ask!" She added the last part to shoot Ruby down who had already opened her mouth to inquire further.

"Ooookay" Ruby chirped, her wolfish grin still in place. "What can I get you?" The question was directed at me.

"Coffee, black" I said curtly, not sure if I wanted to talk to her any more than necessary. Still, I wouldn't want to forget my manners, so I added a slightly softer "Please", although somewhat belatedly.

Ruby didn't seem to be bothered by my less than enthusiastic answer. "I'll be right back!", she called, already sauntering off to the counter.

I turned back to Emma. "Aren't you getting anything?" I didn't peg her for a person who would forgo a drink when presented with an opportunity.

"She knows my usual" Emma explained. "Ruby is my roommate's best friend, so I'm here, like, every day."

I didn't really know what to say to that, so I merely nodded and took the chance to look at her properly. She was really pretty with her pale skin and long blonde hair, and when she looked up to meet my gaze, my breath caught as I noticed for the first time how unbelievably green her eyes were.

Our staring match was interrupted when Ruby returned and placed our drinks in front of us. We both threw quick thank yous her way before taking a sip - perfectly in sync. I saw an amused smile tug at Emma's lips, and when we both sat down our cups - again at exactly the same time - she broke out in a light chuckle.

I would've found the situation amusing myself, hadn't I been distracted by the sound. It was a very nice chuckle, I decided, honest and carefree. It seemed to fit her.

When she raised her cup again, still grinning, something caught my eye.

"That's not coffee."

"No." She stopped the cup a few inches from her lips. "Hot chocolate with a dash of cinnamon", she explained, and twisting her mouth in a playful smirk she added: "Way better than your black terror of bitterness."

I scoffed in mock offence, deciding to play along. "Oh please, at least I'm not drowning myself in sugar. Besides, this black gold here is my only means of survival. It's more than just a drink, it's a way of life!" To prove my point, I took a dramatic sip before smirking back at her.

There were a few minutes of comfortable silence, both of us busy with our respective drinks.

"So." I looked up when she started talking again. "You're not an art student, right? I mean, I've never seen you in the art building before the incident with Cruella, and I wouldn't forget a face like yours." I'm sure I was just imagining the slight pink tinge on her cheeks. "And no artist would wear such expensive clothes, you'd just get stains all over them anyway. So, you're obviously not an artist."

She seemed to be quite proud of her logical observation. Time to crush her ego.

"Well, that's where you are mistaken, dear. I _am_ an artist." I really enjoyed the taken aback look on her face. She clearly hadn't been expecting that response. I decided to let her brood over my revelation for a few more seconds before elaborating. "Not a painter, though. I study music. Piano, to be more precise. "

"Oooooooh, you gotta play for me some time! I bet you're the best pianist ever!" I did _not_ think her almost childlike excitement was cute. At all.

"Thank you, but I'm afraid I'm not that good." She opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off before she had a chance to. "And I usually don't play for other people, except in public concerts. Playing for just one person always feels a bit too personal for my taste. But maybe I''ll make an exception for you."

I was pretty sure I'd regret saying that later, Emma seemed like someone who would hold me to my word. But the glowing beam on her face was more than worth it.

"Are you a senior too?"

I couldn't blame her for not knowing that this question would inevitably lead to a topic I would rather avoid.

"No, I'm a freshman." She blinked in surprise.

"You look older."

"I am, I'm 22. I had a late start, long story."

She was quiet for a moment, hands subconsciously playing with a strand of her hair and eyes searching the room as if to look for another topic of conversation. I was glad she had gotten my silent _'don't ask, I don't want to talk about it'._

"What were you doing in the art building anyway? No music classes are held there." That was easier to explain.

"I was visiting my sister. Despite both studying at Storybrooke University, we hardly ever see each other, so she invited me to keep her company while she was working on one of her paintings."

"And then you got stuck in the vending machine trying to buy chips. You don't look like someone who would like chips."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "And what exactly does one have to look like to enjoy chips every once in a while? Just because my fashion sense isn't as terrible as yours doesn't mean I can't have any guilty pleasures."

"Hey!" She protested and put her cup of cocoa down on the table with just a bit too much force. "My fashion sense isn't terrible! It's just… a lot more practical than your sensible pantsuits!", she concluded, not quite able to keep up her faux angry expression.

It was my turn to chuckle, and from then on, our conversation was flowing smoothly. We talked about anything and everything, music, art, movies, interests, things we hated,… At first I was a little worried I'd have to carefully tip-toe around the topic of family, since it seemed to be an obvious thing to talk about when getting to know somebody, but Emma didn't seem too keen to discuss it anyway, so I slowly relaxed and let the conversation carry me wherever it went.

It was refreshing to watch Emma talk. Her eyes glinted whenever she mentioned something she liked, all her emotions clearly showing on her face, and she often gesticulated wildly with her toned arms. Which turned out to be a slightly distracting habit, especially after she had removed her hideous red leather jacket, leaving her in only a tanktop. Not that I was complaining.

Minutes turned into hours while Ruby kept our cups full, until she came back to our table with a bill instead of fresh drinks. "I don't mean to interrupt your date, ladies, but I was supposed to close up twenty minutes ago."

"It's not a d—" Emma started, but when I threw a glance at the clock I interrupted her, all thoughts of joining her protests were gone.

"Oh my god, I had to leave hours ago! I really need to finish studying!" I jumped up, arms already in my jacked, pecked Emma on the cheek and ran out the door before my brain had time to process what I had just done.

* * *

 **AN:** So, I hope you all liked it, let me know what you thought!

Since I am at home again, with full internet access and all, the next update will be in a few days. See you then :)


	5. Chapter 5

Hi, everybody!

Thanks again for all the follows, favourites and especially reviews! I'm still amazed that people actually like my story..

This chapter is a bit longer than the last one. It has three parts, one of which is written from Ruby's point of view, tell me what you think about that!

Now, read and enjoy!

...

* * *

 **Emma's POV**

"You were saying?" I just stared at the door dumbfoundedly, too stunned to react to Ruby's question. She sniggered. "Not a date, huh?"

"Uhm…" I finally drew my eyes away from where I had seen Regina retreat. "Maybe it was?" I was still utterly confused - and pretty sure Regina hadn't thought about what she was doing. She seemed far too composed for something like this. Besides, it was just a peck on the cheek. That didn't necessarily mean anything, it could have been just platonic. Though I couldn't quite ignore the fluttering of my heart when I thought of it as potentially meaning something more after all.

I slowly let my hands fall down from where my fingers were lingering on the place Regina's lips had touched a few minutes ago. "I guess I'll pay that, then." I waved in the general direction of the bill lying on the table.

"That depends." The smirk on Ruby's face was nothing sort of suspicious. "It's on the house if you give me permission to call Mary Margaret right now and tell her everything I just saw."

"Oh, hell no! You're not calling her in the middle of the night so she can wait with a thousand questions when I get home!" At least my confusion was gone now, turned to utter horror at Ruby's words. "In fact, you're not telling her any of this, ever." I knew my request would be ignored, but it couldn't hurt to try. I just hoped there had been enough other customers around to keep her occupied so she didn't have time to spy on Regina and me all the time.

I paid the bill, hoping she would refrain from calling my roommate right now, and sighed. "Okay, but really, keep my business to yourself."

As soon as I was out of the door I had to stop as realisation hit me once again. Holy fucking shit, Regina Mills had kissed me. It was just a peck on the cheek, but still, the most gorgeous woman in the world had just kissed me! And then left without another word.

 _'_ _Was this a fucking unintentional date?!'_ I thought over and over and over as I walked towards the small apartment I shared with Mary Margaret. We had stayed at Granny's far longer than expected, too caught up in our conversation to notice time flying by - or that Ruby constantly brought new drinks, now that I thought about it. That would explain the expensive bill.

It had been one of the nicest evenings I'd had in years. After a bit of initial awkwardness talking to Regina had been easy. We never ran out of things to say, and god, I didn't even care what she talked about, I could've listened to that deep velvety voice for hours on end.

As luck had it, literally everything she said was interesting and funny, sometimes laced with a playful snark that only added to her charm. The occasional smirk on her face was captivating, when I hadn't been busy drowning in those deep, dark eyes. Honestly, that woman had to be the most stunning being to ever walk the earth.

My musings came to an end when I reached the door of my apartment. I unlocked the door as quietly as possible, silently praying that Ruby hadn't called her best friend after all. Luckily, the apartment was dark and quiet.

I never stopped thinking about Regina while I got ready to sleep. _'Shit, I got it bad'_ was my last thought before I flopped down on my bed. Just as my tiredness was about to take over, a far less pleasant thought hit me. I hadn't even gotten a chance to get her number, and thus had no way of contacting her again.

* * *

 **Ruby's POV**

"So", I started, sitting down next to Mary Margaret on my couch, turning slightly to the side to look at her. "There'S a reason I wanted to talk to you today. Other than that you are my best friend, I mean."

Her forehead creased slightly, waiting for an explanation.

"You see, I have a suspicion", I continued. "It's about Emma."

"What about her?" A look worry crossed her eyes.

"Oh, no no no, no need to worry, she's okay." I knew how protective Mary Margret was of her friends, always thinking the worst.

"You have a stepsister, right? Where does she live?"

Mary Margaret opened and closed her mouth a few times. She was obviously taken aback by he seemingly random change of topic.

"Uhm" She seemed to collect herself. "Yes. Yes, I do have a stepsister. She moved here after… she moved here last summer. Why?"

I took a mental note to ask her about the hesitation and quick rephrasing of 'last summer' later, right now I had something more important to find out.

"I need to know what she looks like. You showed me a picture of her once, but that was really long ago, and I need to be absolutely sure!"

"Absolutely sure of what?" The look of confusion on Mary Margarets face grew every second. "Why do you need to know what my sister looks like? And what did you want to tell me about Emma?"

"It'll all make sense in a second", I promised, pulling on a red streak in my hair impatiently. Just please, I need to know! Do you happen to have a picture?"

Mary Margaret scrunched her eyebrows together thoughtfully before getting up. "Wait a moment." She retrieved her bag and rummaged around in it for what seemed like hours. I was tapping my foot anxiously when she suddenly shrieked: "There it is!", causing me to jump and then curse when a jolt of pain shot through my toe. _'Why does this keep happening? Why does this coffee table hate my toe so much?'_

"What did you find?" I was holding my foot now, trying to ignore the pain.

"Did you stub your toe again?" Apparently I hadn't been able to keep the pain out of my voice as well as I thought. "You need to be more careful, Rubes, you do that at least once a day!" She didn't need to reming me, I knew that, and I wasn't exactly proud of the fact.

"Don't change the topic", I ordered. "What did you find in your monstrosity of a bag?"

"It's not a mon- - " She stopped when she saw my pointed glare, and extended her hand towards me. "Here", she said. "It's old, but she looks pretty much the same."

"Yes!", I bellowed the moment I saw the photo. Mary Margaret covered her ears, a shocked look on her face.

"Sorry. But yes! That's her!" My grin felt like it would split my face in half.

"That's who?" By now she looked like she thought I was completely nuts. Well, I couldn't exactly blame her.

"Why are you so excited about seeing my sister's face? What's going on?"

I grinned even wider, opting for a dramatic pause before I dropped the bomb.

"She was on a date with Emma last Friday."

Stunned silence.

"What?" Mary Margaret managed after she had picked her jaw back up from the floor. My revelation had successfully reached the desired effect.

"I didn't even know either of them is gay." Of course that would be the first thing for her to say. Her completely awestruck face, however, gave me pause for thought.

"Wait, what?!" I knew my best friend could be oblivious, but that was a surprise. "I don't know about your sister, but Emma has been openly bi for years, how did you not notice?"

It seemed to take her a few seconds to make sense of that information. "Oh." She fell back against the couch.

"But that's beside the point here." I snapped my fingers in front of her dumbstruck face. "The point is: Emma and your sister - what's her name again?"

"Regina. Her name is Regina."

"Yeah, right. Regina and Emma were on a kinda-date at Granny's, apparently it wasn't intended to be one at first, and got along perfectly. The problem: judging by Emma's less then golden mood all week, they haven't seen each other since." I paused, giving Mary Margaret a chance to take in all the information.

"Now, you know I am the best matchmaker around, I'm gonna work something out for them. And that's where I need your help."

"My help?" Her eyes went wide. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with whatever you're planning."

"Oh, hush, you don't need to do anything weird or illegal! You just have to invite Regina to your finals-are-over-party. Couldn't hurt to have one more person there anyway, it's lame with only five people around."

"Okay." She fidgeted wit the hem of her shirt. "Okay, I think I can do that. I'll invite Regina. I'll call her right this evening." Her eyes had gotten a determined glint that fell almost immediately as she grimaced at me. "God, this is weird. Am I really helping you play matchmaker for my roommate and my sister?"

She stared at me in horror for a few seconds, and suddenly a chuckle fell from her lips. I couldn't help but giggle at the expression on her face, a hilarious mix of horror and amusement, and soon we were both cackling like maniacs.

I don'T know how long it took us, but when we finally calmed down, I remembered something else I needed to ask her. "Sooooooo, M&M, tell me" I shot her a wolfish grin. "What about that janitor you got a crush on?"

* * *

 **Regina's POV**

It had been a week since my coffee with Emma that had unsuspectedly turned into a date. Maybe. Or whatever that had bee. I didn't even know if she would have wanted it to be one. After a lot of overthinking and chastising myself for being so stupid, I had come to terms with the fact that apparently I did. Unfortunately, I had run off too fast to gauge Emma's reaction to my unplanned kiss, which made it impossible to guess her thoughts on the matter.

I hadn't heard from her since that day - or night, rather - but that was hopefully due to the fact the we hadn't had a chance to exchange numbers, not because I had scared her away. Besides, it was finals week, so she probably din't have any more time to spare than I. No need to worry.

Regardless, that was all I had done during the past week, interrupted only by more positive thoughts about the same woman. I almost felt like a teenager with a crush again, ridiculous as it was. Thankfully I had managed to concentrate on my exams long enough to be confident I'd get acceptable grades on all of them. So far.

There were only two more to go next week before the holidays started. Finally there was some free time in sight! Unfortunately that meant that stumbling across Emma on campus became increasingly unlikely with every day that passed.

I needed a plan to contact her again. As always, luck wasn't on my side - I wouldn't have time to think of anything until after my last exam. With a defeated sigh I sank further into the cushions of my couch, felling the exhaustion take over. Maybe I shouldn't have pulled three all-nighters in seven days. I sighed again, letting the heavy feeling of sleep seep into my bones.

Of course that was the exact moment my phone decided to ring. I groaned loudly in protest and tried to shut the noise out, put that annoying thing just wouldn't stop. Of fucking course.

I searched for the disruptive device blindly. At least it was close enough to grab without getting up. I didn't bother opening my eyes and looking at the caller ID before I pressed the accept button an held it to my ear.

"What?!"

"Regina, hi!" This impossibly chipper voice could only belong to one person.

"Mary Margaret. What do you want?" I turned my head slightly when I noticed my words were muffled by the pillow I had my face buried in.

"When is your last exam?" Of course I wouldn't get a direct answer out of her.

"Wednesday"; I said. She would explain herself soon enough. It was not like my stepsister could keep her mouth shut for long anyway.

"Perfect!" The shrill shout caused me to put my phone as far away from my ears as possible without dropping it. "You're coming to my after-finals-party on Wednesday, 7p.m."

"Why would I do that? You know I hate people, especially if they're so inebriated they can't form a coherent sentence."

"Oh, come on, Regina!" I could practically hear her pout through the phone. "It's not that kind of party! You know I don't like alcohol and loud music either." I rolled my eyes, about to say something, but Mary Margaret was faster. "And we're only five or six people, just hanging out and enjoying the end of the semester. So, what do you say?"

"I'll think about it." I had absolutely no intention of actually doing so.

"Perfect!" Her lack of irritation with my obviously non-existent enthusiasm was amazing.

Without saying anything further, I ended the call and fell back between the cushions. Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone beeped again.

I opened one eye to peak at the display. There was a text message with an address followed by "bring lasagna". I scoffed and threw the phone across the room, wishing it to shut up, but I couldn't quite stop the small smile that creeped onto my face.

* * *

...

So, I hope you liked it. :)

As always: let me know what you thought! The next chapter will be up at some point during the weekend.

See you!


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so so so so so sorry for the extremely late update! I had a few time management issues and then I burned all my fingers (long story) and couldn't write for a while. But as you can see, I'm able to type normally again, so here is the next chapter (finally)! It's somewhat short, because it's actually only half a chapter, but it would've gotten too long if I had included Mary Margaret's whole party, so there you go:**

* * *

 _"_ _You're coming to my after-finals-party on Wednesday, 7p.m."_

 _(…)_

 _"_ _I'll think about it." I had absolutely no intention of actually doing so._

 _"_ _Perfect!" Her lack of irritation with my obviously non-existent enthusiasm was amazing._

 _Without saying anything further, I ended the call and fell back between the cushions. Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone beeped again._

 _I opened one eye to peak at the display. There was a text message with an address followed by "bring lasagna". I scoffed and threw the phone across the room, wishing it to shut up, but I couldn't quite stop the small smile that creeped onto my face._

* * *

 **Regina's POV**

I couldn't believe that I was actually here, only a thin wooden door separating me from my stepsister's after-finals-party, as she had called it. I'm not sure how my best friend Kathryn had managed to convince me to come here. Or why, for that matter. She probably felt bad because she was spending the evening with her boyfriend Frederick and didn't have time to celebrate the end of the semester with me. So she persuaded me to go see my sister instead.

I had mixed feelings about the whole situation. While I liked spending time alone in my apartment, preferably reading a good book, I was glad to get out of there after the intense study sessions of the last few weeks. And as annoying as Mary Margaret could be at times, it was good to see my sister every once in a while. On the other hand, I was tired and I didn't know any of the other party guests. I could only hope they weren't too terrible.

Be that as it may, I couldn't turn around now. I was already right in front of Mary Margaret's apartment, the requested lasagna in my hands. I had been standing here long enough, there was nothing left to do but ring the doorbell. So I did.

"Hey, you're here!" At least it was my sister herself who opened the door and not some stranger. And she looked genuinely happy to see me, if her huge grin was anything to go by. Then again, Mary Margaret was genuinely happy about pretty much everything, but it was still better than being greeted by a fake smile.

"Hello." I smiled back at her, though I couldn't quite muster the same enthusiasm as Mary Margaret. "I brought the lasagna you requested."

Her grin grew impossibly wider at that. "Ohhhhhh, that's great, thank you so much, I love your lasagna!"

"I know", I smirked at her. "Everybody loves my lasagna."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself!", Mary Margaret scolded, rolling her eyes goodnaturedly. "Although, concerning your cooking skills you have every right to. Come on in!" She opened the door wider and took the lasagna from my hands, skipping towards another room - presumably the kitchen - while shouting back: "Make yourself at home!"

A relieved sigh escaped my lips as I let the door fall closed behind me. My relationship with Mary Margaret hadn't always been this friendly and relaxed, and I was really glad to be on good terms with her now. After a few seconds of hesitation I pulled my thin jacket from my shoulders und put it on one of the hooks next to the door. I couldn't stop a light chuckle from escaping my lips as I looked closer - there was a picture of a different disney character over each of the hooks. Coincidentally, I had hung my jacket to the evil queen, which had always been my favourite, and of course Mary Margaret's light pink coat was hanging right beneath the picture of Snow White. And next to it - - -

I did a double take. No, this was impossible. I had spent enough time staring at its owner to recognise this hideous red leather jacket anywhere. It couldn't be. Emma.

I must have been staring at the article of clothing for a few minutes before I finally managed to get over my initial shock. I tried to ignore the nervous fluttering in my chest and turned towards the room Mary Margaret had sauntered off to.

My guess from earlier had been right, it was the kitchen. But apart from different containers with food and an immense amount of drinks, the room was empty. I could hear voiced from the next room over, though. Carefully, I took a few steps towards the door, peering inside what seemed to be the living room.

Surprisingly enough, I recognised more than one face. There was the girl from the cafe where I had been with Emma almost two weeks ago. Ruby, if I remembered correctly. Like the ruby-red streaks in her hair. Next to her was a girl I had never seen before, long brown hair and kind eyes, but I couldn't make out any other noticeable features from my vantage point.

Judging by her pink cheeks, Mary Margaret obviously harboured more than friendly feelings for the guy next to her (was that the janitor from the art building?), and - judging by his pink cheeks - he obviously reciprocated. I'd gag at the sickly sweet smiles and literal heart eyes they sent each other, but there was a fifth person in the room, one that was currently much more interesting for me than two bumbling idiots in love.

Emma was facing away from me, her golden locks cascading down her back beautifully, dancing around with every little move she made. She was talking to the other two girls, Ruby and the one I didn't know, and every now and then a breathtaking laugh spilled over her lips. After a few moments of staring, I managed to rip myself out of my stupor. That seemed to be a common occurrence lately. Without looking away from her, I slowly stepped closer, the drumming of my heart drowning out every other noise.

Before I knew it, I was standing right behind her. I still couldn't quite believe that she was here, right in front of me, just when I had begun to fear that I'd never see her again. A slight smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I all but purred. "Hello, dear."

* * *

 **Emma's POV**

"Hello, dear."

Holy shit. HO. LY. SHIT! I was frozen into place, unable to move, but I didn't need to turn around to know exactly who was standing behind me. I'd recognise that voice everywhere. Regardless, I did turn around as soon as my feet decided to work again. I hope I didn't look as impossibly stunned as I felt. For a few second we just stared at each other, then I remembered that I should probably answer her greeting.

"Hi", I managed to breath out, a sheepish smile on my face that Regina returned with one of her own - and god, what a smile it was! It was small and subtle, but still seemed to light up the whole room, and it did the weirdest things to my stomach. If she didn't stop smiling like this soon, I was gonna have a heart attack.

The sound of someone clearing their throat finally put and end to our staring match.

"So", M&M's voice chirped. "Emma, it seems you already know my sister Regina!"

 _What?_ The way I looked between Regina and my roommate with wide eyes looked probably ridiculous, but I just couldn't believe it. _Regina is Mary Margaret's sister?!_ I knew they were only stepsisters, but still, it was hard to imagine that two people who were so different from each other could belong to the same family.

Mary Margaret smiled brightly, the look on her face just a tad bit too innocent.

"Wait a second." I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously. "Did you plan this?"

"Actually-" M&M started, a slight blush on her cheeks, when she got interrupted.

"I did!" Of course. Ruby was grinning at me proudly, one arm up in the air to make sure everybody could see that she was the evil genius.

Normally I would have given her hell for plotting something like this behind my back, but in all honesty, I was really happy that Regina was here.

"Okay", I said finally, blinking a few times to give my brain the chance to work through all this, and turned back to Regina. "Well, it's nice to see you again, Regina."

She smiled again, even more stunningly than before. "You too, Emma."

I could practically feel another staring match coming along, so I quickly suggested: "Come sit down with us, I'm gonna introduce you to my friends."

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter! As I said before, this is actually only half of a chapter, the other half will be up soon. I decided not to promise you specific update-dates anymore, though, because apparently I can't keep my promises :/ (sorry again!)**

 **And just so you know, if everything works out as planned, this is approximately the middle of this whole story, so there are probably 5 or 6 more chapters to go.**

 **If you have any specific ideas you want me to include, please let me know, all plans can be changed! ;)**

 **See you soon! 3**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey, guys! Here's the second half of Mary Margaret's after-finals-party, it's rather short, but I hope you like it :)**_

* * *

 **Ruby's POV** _(a few minutes earlier)_

"Are you sure she'll be here?", I asked M&M in a hushed voice. "From what you told me, your sister wasn't exactly ecstatic when you told her about your after-finals-party."

"Oh, she'll be here." Mary Margaret answered just as quietly, and something about the look on her face made me pause for a second. The mischievous glint in her eyes looked unusual on M&M's face - that was something more typical for me. Belle, who was pulling some cinnamon rolls out of the oven, just raised an eyebrow at us without a comment.

"What did you do?" I looked at her suspiciously as she grinned.

"I might have contacted her best friend Kathryn and told her everything. And she might have promised to convince Regina to come." Now she was outright beaming at me as she added: "Or, more like force her."

"Oh my god!", I whispered. "Mary Margaret, you have learned from the evil genius that is myself, and you have learned well." Sadly, my dramatic utterance didn't impress Mary Margaret at all. She just rolled her eyes and turned around to help Belle with her cinnamon rolls.

"But hush now", M&M warned. "If Emma hears us our whole plan is ruined."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I won't tell her anything!" I promised, while Belle slapped my hand away when I tried to steal one of the cinnamon rolls and glared at me. I grinned. "Can't wait to see her face though. That's gonna be the surprise of the year!"

"Come on now!", Belle said. "The way we're just standing here whispering to each other is pretty suspicious. We should go talk to Emma and David before they try to find out what we're doing."

I looked at her in surprise. Belle had never said anything when she overheard us talking about our big plan before. She only ever rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately, but apparently she was now trying to actively help as well. I hopped from the counter I was sitting on with a grin and pecked her on the cheek. "Let's go!"

Just as we went into the living room I heard a faint knock on the door.

 **Regina's POV**

 _"_ _Come sit down with us, I'm gonna introduce you to my friends."_

Well, that should be … interesting. I followed Emma's invitation and sat on the couch right next to her. The whole situation was a little bit awkward, and I had been at a loss of words after Mary Margaret and Ruby had revealed that they had planned this - whatever _this_ was. I surely didn't mind, though, I got a chance to see Emma again after all. At least she seemed to be as surprised as I was.

"So" She smiled shyly at me and all I could do was reply with a shaky smile myself. My stepsister could have at least prepared me for this. I didn't quite know how to handle the butterflies that had suddenly taken residence in my stomach. But before I had a chance to take a deep breath to calm myself, Emma continued.

"You've met Ruby before, she's Mary Margaret's best friend, and you obviously know M&M because she's apparently your sister and I'm still really confused." She paused for a second, the look she sent in Mary Margarets direction implying that "confused" was clearly an understatement. "And you've met David as well when he saved you from Cruella", a cute little smile tugged at her lips at the memory. _Wait, cute? I did NOT just think that, especially not in combination with that horrid day!_ "As you can see, M&M has a huge crush on him. And the other way around. I'd laugh at how cheesy they are, but sometimes it's more on the puke-worthy side of cheesy."

I could only agree with her. I had only seen the two of them together for five minutes, but they seemed to fill every rom-com cliché there was. Not that I wasn't happy for them, it was just somewhat weird to watch.

Emma turned back around and shot a lopsided smile in my direction before gesturing to the last person in the room. "That's Belle." The girl in question looked up at the mention of her name and smiled at me before turning back to her conversation with Ruby. "She's Ruby's girlfriend and pretty much the exact opposite of her. Thank god, imagine having two Rubys around!"

Her eyes widened in horror as she looked at me and I couldn't help but laugh at the face she was making. "I don't know Ruby well enough to know what exactly that means, but judging by the look on your face it's nothing good."

She just continues to stare at me with the same expression, slowly shaking her head, until she suddenly burst out laughing too. I could only shake my head and grin as she doubled over with giggles. How had I managed to befriend such a giant goofball?

After a few moments she calmed down, gasping for air. "Sorry!" She managed between more giggles. "I don't even know what was so funny right now!" She grinned at me and opened her mouth to say more when another voice interrupted her.

"Guys, I'm hungry!", Ruby announced. "Let's eat!"

The collective excitement at her idea was almost comical. The way everybody acted like this was the best idea ever and something nobody else could have thought of added such a simple happiness to the general atmosphere of the room that my smile widened even more.

 **Emma's POV**

A few hours, a lot of good food (Regina's lasagna was amazing) and a few bottles of root beer later I had finally overcome the shock of Regina being M&M's stepsister. And that M&M and Ruby had apparently planned this little surprise for me. I still didn't know if I should be mad at them for keeping it a secret or be grateful for inviting her in the first place.

Thankfully, Regina seemed to relax after a while too, and she got along well with everybody. Ruby's snappy comments matched her own snarky personality perfectly, and I had almost gotten a little jealous when Regina had left my side to talk to Belle about books and music that I'd never heard of.

For a moment, I felt a bit lost, even though I was surrounded by all my best friends. As I watched them all interact with such ease - at least some of the laughing probably brought on by alcohol - a strange, but nice feeling settled in my stomach. Seeing all those familiar faces smiling around me, the easy, warm ambience, it felt so much like _family._ A broad smile stretched its way across my face as I looked at every one of them.

Just as my gaze fell on Regina, she turned her head to look me righting the eyes. God, it shouldn't even be allowed to look this fucking gorgeous! Her smile was so bright that it seemed to light up the whole room, and there was a sparkle in her eyes that left me tingling all over.

"Let's step up the party game!" I jumped at Ruby's sudden yell. She turned up the music and grabbed some shots to pass around. At Regina's laugh I looked back to her as she came over to my side, grabbed my hand and leant close to my ear to be heard over the music. "Come on, Emma, Ruby claimed to be able to hold her liquor better than the both of us combined, and I firmly intend to prove her wrong!"

I raised my eyebrows. Really? Ruby hadn't dared challenge me like this since freshman year. "We're so gonna drink her under the table! Let's go!" And before I could convince myself that it was a bad idea, I turned my head slightly and pressed a peck to Regina's cheek. Let the games begin!

* * *

 _ **So, let me know what you thought! The next chapter will hopefully be up in a few days time, so stay tuned ;)**_

 ** _The story is (obviously) focusing on Emma and Regina, but if you guys like the parts written from Ruby's POV or want me to include somebody else's POV in future chapters, please let me know and I will see what I can do!_**

 _ **See you soon!**_


End file.
